The National Super Alliance (NASA) campaign rally at Thika in Kiambu County ended in disarray Thursday afternoon when supporters of the ruling Jubilee Party clashed with those of the Opposition, resulting in chaos that saw the police forced to intervene.
Two of the NASA co-principals, led by Raila Odinga, who had convened their public meeting at Thika town, faced a difficult task as they tried to address the gathering that, at the time, had been infiltrated by supporters of the Jubilee Party, who had earlier attended a campaign rally at the nearby Thika CBD.
Minutes after Raila Odinga began his address outside Thika Stadium – after touring Juakali and Makongeni areas – rowdy Jubilee Party supporters began shouting him down.
Odinga tried to ignore the anti-NASA chants, but the jeering and heckling worsened.
The statement that broke the camel’s back came when Odinga said: “Hiyo ni macho tu ya chura; haiwezi kuzuia ng’ombe kunywa maji (The noise by Jubilee supporters were meaningless and that he (Odinga) would continue his address).”
Irate Jubilee supporters, thereafter, hurled stones at the two NASA principals (Odinga and Mudavadi), forcing their security detail to whisk them to safety.
The NASA principals were bundled into their waiting cars and hastily driven off.
Police were forced to lob teargas to break up a pandemonium caused by supporters of the two leading political formations.
Rapid Response Unit officers were immediately deployed to the scene.
In Murang’a County, Raila addressed several rallies at Kenol area.
During the rallies, NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi, who was accompanying Raila, condemned Wednesday’s cases of violence in Kisumu and Baringo counties during NASA and Jubilee rallies.
Musalia, however, urged residents to uphold peace and allow leaders to run their campaigns in peace.
